© OCHA/Mahmoud Fadel-YPN. In a camp for displaced people in Dar Saad, Yemen, a young girl fetches water. (File photo)
Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, welcomed Yemen's progress towards a ceasefire. Since 2015, more than eight years of conflict between Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, has left the country ravaged by war.
After a series of meetings between the parties to the conflict in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Muscat, Oman, the conflict has taken a new turn, according to a statement released on Saturday by the Office of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Yemen, with a turning point in the nearly nine-year-old conflict in Yemen and an important step towards peace.
Commitments and Obligations
The Yemeni government and the Houthis reached a ceasefire agreement in Hodeidah province in early December 2018 brokered by the United Nations, but the ceasefire has been repeatedly violated. Last year, the parties agreed to a two-month ceasefire beginning on 2 April and extended the ceasefire twice until 2 October, after which no agreement was reached on an extension.
The statement showed that the parties to the conflict are committed to a series of measures aimed at implementing a nationwide ceasefire, improving living conditions and preparing for the resumption of an inclusive political process led by the United Nations. Grundberry welcomed this.
"30 million Yemenis are watching and waiting for this new opportunity that promises tangible results and lasting peace," he said. The parties have taken an important step. Their commitment is first and foremost an obligation to the Yemeni people to move towards a future that meets the legitimate aspirations of all Yemenis. We will accompany them on their journey. ”
Develop a roadmap
Grundberg will engage with the parties to develop a road map under the auspices of the United Nations that encompasses the commitments of all parties, including a nationwide ceasefire, public sector salaries, the resumption of oil exports, the opening of roads to Taiz province and beyond, and further easing restrictions on Sana'a airport and Hodeidah port.
The roadmap will also establish mechanisms for implementation and prepare for the resumption of a Yemeni-led political process under the auspices of the United Nations.
Grundberg expressed deep gratitude to Saudi Arabia and Oman for the critical role they played in supporting the parties to achieve this goal. At the same time, he urged the parties to exercise maximum restraint in their actions at this critical juncture and to create an enabling environment for dialogue in order to succeed in reaching agreement on the road map.
